11th Day of Christmas with Melissa Taylor

It is day 11 in our 5th annual 12 Days of Christmas giveaways.

Each day I am featuring a different Proverbs 31 Ministries gal offering an idea, recipe, memory or story of Christmas.

Today’s guest?

The fabulous online Bible teacher and encourager-in-chief:

Melissa Taylor!

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Hey everyone! Who can’t use a new tried-and-true recipe at the holidays? Here are a few of my favorite Christmas recipes, the name of the item and where I got them from:

Hay Stacks  (Little Granny)

I remember my husband’s grandmother, Little Granny, making this easy, crunchy candy. It’s made with chow mein noodles, peanuts, and butterscotch chips.

 Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup peanuts
  • 2 cups chow mein noodles

Preparation:

Microwave the butterscotch chips and peanut butter on 50 percent power for 3 to 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend to coat noodles thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Traditional Home-made Chex Mix~ (My Mother in Law)

 

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bite-size bagel chips or regular-size bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

 

 

1. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on High about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
2. Microwave uncovered on High 5 to 6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.
Oven Directions Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

I get real creative with this adding just about whatever my family loves. Like Cheetos, cheerios, and cheez-its.

Home-made Crispix Mix~sweet (My Beautiful Mama, who I really miss a lot!)

 

This is the note card from my mom’s recipe box in her handwriting. How precious and special! My mama wrote that y’all! That alone makes this Christmas treat extra special!

Jesus’ Birthday Cake (Southern Living)

 

This is the cake we bake for Jesus each year. It is from the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook, 20th Edition.  Of course you know that Jesus likes any cake baked for Him. We used to do chocolate cake until I found this one. It’s so delish! I make this when I need to take something to a Christmas brunch or gathering. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t LOVE this!

 

Nutty Orange Coffee Cake ( Happy Birthday Jesus!)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1/2 (8 oz.) pkg reduced fat cream cheese

2 (11 oz.) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

 

*Combine 1st 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside

*Place about 3/4 teaspoon cream cheese in center of each biscuit; fold biscuit in half over cheese, pressing edges to seal.

*Dip biscuits in melted butter, and dredge in sugar mixture; place biscuits, curved side down, in a single layer in curves of a lightly greased 12-cup Bundt.  Place any remaining biscuits around center tube of pan, filling in spaces, if necessary. Drizzle any remaining butter over biscuits; sprinkle with any remaining sugar mixture.

*Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.  Immediately invert onto a serving plate.

*Combine powdered sugar and orange juice, stirring well; drizzle over warm coffee cake. Serve immediately. 

 

Peppermint Sticks and Candy Canes (Grammy)

These are completely store bought. We get the soft peppermint sticks because they remind us of Grammy. She was my grandmother and every Christmas she handed out peppermint sticks. She was such an influence on my life spiritually. Jesus was her best friend. When we share our peppermint sticks, we also share a story about Grammy.

The candy canes, we place in a small Christmas bucket and keep them where guests can take one on the way out. Attached to each cane is the “Legend of the Candy Cane, Jesus Edition.”  Just another way to share Jesus during His birthday season.

A few days before Christmas, my kids and I set aside a day to bake lots of fun cookies, candies, etc, etc. We keep some and give some away.  Christmas Eve we make Jesus’ Birthday Cake and build a Gingerbread House together.

Now, I’d love to hear about the food you love at Christmas. Maybe it’s part of the meal or maybe some kind of yummy treat. You pick. Just make sure to share the recipe with us!  This will be like having our own little 12 Days of Christmas Recipe Book!

Share a recipe and you will be entered to win a Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study Package including:

 

  • Our past 2 Online Bible Study books, Unglued (signed by author, Lysa TerKeurst) and Greater by Steven Furtick
  • A Proverbs 31 Ministries T-Shirt
  • Our next OBS, which is a mega-package~ including the Let.It.Go.book (signed by author, Karen Ehman), Participant’s Guide, DVD Series, and Conference Call Series

 

Please share with us your favorite recipe! I can’t wait to read all them!

If time is tight, just shre the name of your favorite holiday food. :)

Karen, thank you so much for inviting me to share in your exciting 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!

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Remember, you have until Sunday night December 16th to comment on all the posts. One grand prize winner will be chosen from among the gals who post on all 12 days! The grand prize is:

A unique advent candle display depicting Bethlehem, Mary and Jesus, with votive holders and candles nestled inside. A $50 retail value. And, along with it, a copy of my new book LET. IT. GO. How to Stop Running the Show & Start Walking in Faith.

293 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will be waiting for your next write ups thanks once again.

  2. Homemade from scratch Coconut Cake….that my mother in law used to make EVERY Christmas..She passed away several years ago and I never got the chance to get the recipe. :(

  3. Cookies/Goodies – My Grammie always made several varieties of cookies/candies, my mom did, and my sister and I do. I have several favorites but will just list two.

    Swedish Crisps
    1 cup butter, softened
    3/4 cup sugar
    2 cups, sifted flour
    1 tsp vanilla
    Mix thoroughly and spread on a cookie, pat smooth and thin. In a bowl beat 2 egg whites until almost stiff. Spread over batter. In small bowl mix together: 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. Sprinkle over egg whites. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut in diamond shapes while still warm.

    Bits O’ Brickle
    1 bag Reeses Peanut Butter Chips
    1 box Bakers German Chocolate
    1 bag Heath Bits of Brickle Toffee Bits
    In medium sauce pan, melt together peanut butter chips and German chocolate over medium low heat stirring frequently until melted and mixed together. Remove from heat and stir in toffee bits.
    Drop on waxed paper lined cookie sheets, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes until hardened. Store in container with good fitting lid.

  4. Orange Ball Cookies – my mom use to make these every Christmas and at some point I took over. The recipe had to be reworked at one time because the food industry changed some of the packaging sizes.

    1 stick oleo, softened
    6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate, room temperature
    16 oz powdered sugar
    12 oz vanilla wafers, finely crushed
    1 c chopped nuts
    1 c coconut flakes

    Mix together oleo and thawed juice until smooth. Add powdered sugar, mix well. Add wafers, nuts, and coconut; and mix well. Shape into small balls and roll in additional powdered sugar. Keep in a tightly covered container. These are better if made a day ahead.

  5. Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

    2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
    1/2 cup white sugar
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 eggs
    1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
    1/2 cup pumpkin puree
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 pinch ground cloves
    1 pinch ground nutmeg
    1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

    Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
    In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
    Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
    Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

  6. Banana – Chocolate Peppermint Smoothie
    Almond Milk
    frozen bananas
    crushed up Ghirardelli dark chocolate peppermint squares
    Add to blender
    Enjoy!

  7. We enjoy this side dish with ham:
    Cottage Potatoes
    6 medium potatoes
    ½ cup melted butter
    1 small green pepper, chopped
    1 medium onion, chopped
    ½ slice white bread, diced
    1 tsp. salt (I use a little less)
    1 tsp. parsley flakes
    ½ tsp. garlic salt
    ½ tsp. celery salt
    1 cup milk
    ¼ # American cheese, diced
    1 pimento, diced (optional)
    Boil potatoes until tender. (Optional: peel before boiling.) Cool. Peel and dice into large bowl.
    Add all ingredients except milk. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Turn into shallow baking dish. (I used a 9×13 pan.) Pour milk over potatoes.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 8 to 10.
    *If making this ahead several hours or the night before, wait until just before baking to add the milk.
    Enjoy!

  8. There are just too many to have a favorite. But most all of us in my neck of the woods are very fond of Peanut Butter balls
    1c sugar
    1/2c dark corn syrup
    1/2c white corn syrup
    2c crunchy peanut butter
    4c rice cereal

    In a pan, stir in sugar and both syrups over medium heat. Remove and quickly add peanut butter continuing to stir until fully combined.Add rice cereal and mix well. Shape into palmsized balls with your hands. Transfr to waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

  9. Thanks for sharing so many recipes! What fun to look thru them. We used to make candy cane cookies but they are so time consuming we’ve stopped doing so. They were a sugar cookie recipe with peppermint flavoring. Half the dough had red food coloring added and you rolled out in a “snake” type piece and then twisted a red and white one together, then shaped in a candy cane shape.

  10. Nutter Butter balls…just like Oreo balls/truffles, but with nutter butters. I roll mine in chocolate almond bark…YUM!!!

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